One of the most-anticipated films of award season,Michael Mann’s long-in-the-works passion projectFerrarihas a lot working for it — an Academy Award-nominated director behind the camera in Mann who’s helmed classics likeHeatandThe Insider, astarry cast featuring award-winning actorsAdam DriverandPenélope Cruz, and an intriguing story of a racing tycoon based on an acclaimed novel. Missing from that equation, however, is a big studio behind it. In a recent piece fromVarietycoveringFerrari,Heat 2, and Mann’s career in general, the director explained why his latest won’t have any ties to major studios.
Ferrarispent much of its development without a distributor attached to it. That was until earlier this year whenthe independent studio NEON picked it up for a December releasein theaters. Considering that the filmis a melodramatic tale ofEnzo Ferrariand the dark times looming over his family as they prepare for the 1957 Mille Miglia, Mann felt it was a better fit away from a major studio. “The origins of the movie and the content of the screenplay and the movie that you saw do not fit into the kind of film that would be embraced by the conventional studio system,” he said. “It’s truly appropriate that it is an independent film being distributed by NEON, a very independent distributor.”
NEONhas lefta massive footprint in the indie film space. They are responsible for distributing acclaimed films likeParasite,I,Tonya,Triangle of Sadness,Moonage Daydream, andInfinity Poolin the U.S., becoming a standout among independent distributors. At a time when both theWGA and SAG-AFTRA are on strikefor fair wages and more protections, companies like NEON which champion creative freedom are all the more respected and desired as partners. For Mann, who was also around during the 1988 work stoppage and knows what it’s like to start from scratch,that fight against major studiosis a very necessary one. “I think that the struggle is kind of late-stage capitalism. Writers are massively underpaid — even top feature-film writers. They all start with this. We begin with nothing, absolutely nothing.”
Mann Owes Much ofFerrarito the Efforts of Troy Kennedy Martin
Regardingthe struggle of the WGA, Mann acknowledges the utmost importance of writers by highlightingFerrari’sTroy Kennedy Martinwho penned the screenplay. “Troy and the screenplay, I changed it around quite a bit,” he added. “But the absolute foundation and the beating heart of this movie is what Troy did.”
Ferraritracks the full turmoil of Enzo Ferrari’s life, from his infidelity and divorce from his wife, the grief that lingered between them regarding their deceased son, and the stress of the looming Mille Miglia. Tragedy would continueto haunt the racing tycoonwhen one of his own vehicles malfunctioned at the race, causing a fatal accident and sparking a lengthy legal battle with Ferrari. Manndoesn’t pull punches when depicting that horrific crash either, as he detailed how the film will punctuate its pulse-pounding racing scenes with a violent accident featuring severed limbs and torsos.
Ferrariarrives in theaters on December 25. Check out a previous interview with the film’s star Driver below.
